This invention is related to the mounting and joining of building panels, and in particular, to an apparatus for mounting and joining interior building panels such as sheetrock panels.
The most commonly used method for building and finishing interior walls and ceilings in both residential and commercial buildings includes framing a wall using vertical studs of metal or wood on 16" or 24" centers. Sheetrock panels are mounted on the studs, and the joints between adjacent sheetrock panels are filled with joint tape and a sandable spackling compound. Standard sheetrock panels are 8', 10', or 12' long so that the sheetrock joints most often fall between a vertical the 16" or 24" spaced studs. Inevitably, however, it is necessary to provide a joint between studs where the overall wall length does not correspond to an even multiple of 16" or 24". Doing so is time consuming because an additional stud to support the joint must be installed between two existing studs.
A need therefore remains for a simple, convenient and less time-consuming sheetrock joint-support for use where the joint falls between existing studs.